Piano-action.



S. R. PERRY. PIANO ACTION. APPLIGATION FILED 00'1.24,1905.

Patented 001;. 6,1908.

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8. R. PERRY.

PIANO ACTION.

APPLICATION FILED 00T.24,1905.

Patented Oct. 6, 1908.

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WITNESSES. INVENTOR UNITED STATES ,PAEENT oFFioE.

SAMUEL R. PERRY, OF SORANTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANO-ACTION.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SAMUEL R. PERRY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Im rovements in Piano-Actions, of which the 'ollowing is a full and exact specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My improvements relate more particularly to grand piano actions, but with some modifications are applicable to upright actions, and have for their object an action the parts of which move together with the least riction, and capable of great rapidity of movement.

The main features are a horizontal piece jointed to links or arms, said links or arms jointed to a sustaining rail whereby the horizontal piece is held and operated in position, the horizontal piece carrying a jack which operates the hammer-butt and hammer, the horizontal piece adapted to cooperate with an arm suspended from or integral with the hammerbutt, whereby the hammer is checked in its retraction from the strings, the horizontal piece also adapted to operate the damper mechanism, an extension piece operating between the key and the action mech anism with the least possible friction, whereby the keys may be removed from the key frame or replaced thereon without disturbing the other parts of the action, together with other features more fully explained hereinafter and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of a section of a grand piano action showing the various parts in their normal position, or at rest. Fig. 2 shows the relative positions of the parts after the key has been ressed down and the hammer has retracted rom the strings. Fig. 3 shows the parallel movement of the arms 6, 6 when jointed as at c, e, e, c. Fig. 4 shows the extension piece resting on a shoulder 5 on the horizontal piece 4, and a screw 8 limiting its movement. Fig. 5 shows the horizontal piece 4, rails R and the arms 6, 6 as applied to an upri ht action; also the extension piece 3 shaped fike a bell crank and ointed to the horizontal piece 4, and restricted in its movement by the adjusting screws S and S. Fig. 6 shows a view of the hammer-butt extension and the direct use of the horizontal piece 4 as a check to the hammer in its re- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 24, 1905.

Patented Oct. 6 1908;

Serial No. 284,138.

traction from the strings, and an adjusting arm 9 extending from the horizontal piece 4 to contact with the damper mechanism.

Similar characters refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a section of a grand piano action in which 1 is a rear end of a piano key which rests on the key frame lcf; 2 the capstan or adjusting screw turned into the rear end of the key 1. 3 is an extension piece which acts as a means to communicate the force exerted upon the key to the action mechanism. Its lower end is rounded so as to roll over the surface of the capstan screw 2, its upper end having a shoulder 3' and an extended flange 3 by which it is jointed to the horizontal piece 4; its movement over its center at 3 is limited by the cushioned surfaces of the horizontal piece 4 at 5 and 5. The horizontal piece 4 is held and controlled to move in a horizontal position by the arms or links 6, 6, which are jointed to the horizontal piece 4 at certain distances apart, are of the same length from center to center, and are jointed to the rail R by means of the flanges 7, 7 and move upon their centers c, e, e, e, in lines parallel to each other. See Fig. 3. The rail R serves also to secure the action to the key frame Fey. 8 is the jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, and is held in position under the hammerbutt 9 by a post 10 secured to the horizontal piece 4. The post 10 has the same functions as the post 9 in my application for an improvement in piano actions #187,408, Jan. 2, 1904. The hammer-butt 9 is secured to the rail 90 by the flange f in the usual manner. The hammer-shank 11 is secured to the hammer-butt at 11 and supports the hammer 12 in position on the hammer rail 13.

The post 10 may be bent so that the jack 8 may attack the hammerbutt surface a at various positions, by which means the key may be made light or heavy as desired, according to the distance between the jack and the hammerbutt center f.

That portion of the hammer-butt lying directly under the hammer-shank 11 is made in the form of an acute angle, the upper surface b of said angle running in a line parallel with the hammer-shank and the under surface a at an angle to the hammer-shank, giving ample surface to the movement of the jack 8 and in this respect is like the hammerbutt shown in my application as quoted above. The hammer-butt 9, in addition to having a straight under side upon which the jack 8 moves in forcing the hammer toward the strings 16 has an arm 9 extending downward toward the horizontal piece 4. This arm may be made of wood integral with the upper portion of the hammer-butt as shown by Figs. 1 and 2. The lower end of the arm 9 is made somewhat in the shape of a foot which is clothed upon its under side with felt or leather. The horizontal piece 4 is provided with a regulating screw and button 14, which may be adjusted up or down to a proper contact with the hammer-butt arm 9 when the hammer retracts from the strings.

The hammer-butt extension may also c011- sist of a wire arm 9 Fig. 6 secured into the under side of the hammer-butt, its lower end threaded and turned into a regulating button 14. The regulating button when in contact with the cushion 28 on the forward end of the horizontal piece 4 serves to check the hammer in its rebound from the strings,

15 is the damper which rests upon the strings 16 when the action is in its normal position, and is connected to the damper block 17 by means of the wire rod 18. The rod 18 passes through a bushed .hole in the guide strip 19, in the usual way. The lower end of the damper block is provided with an extended foot 20, having hushed holes H H. Guide iins I I enter these holes and serve to keep t e damper block and damper head in position. The horizontal piece 4 extends to a contact with the damper block 17 of the damper mechanism as shown by Figs. 1 and 2, or it may have an adjustable arm 9, Fig. 6, which contacts with and lifts the damper block 17 and damper 15; or as shown by g Fig. 5. Referring again to Fig. 1 the jack 8 carries a spring 21 upon its inner surface. This spring is connected to the hammer-butt by means of a cord 23 passing through a hole 24 (see Fig. 2) in the upper end of the jack 8. The strength of the spring connected to the hammer-butt tends to counteract the dead weight of the hammer, and thus lighten the keys and insure the repetition of the hammer against the strings because of the increased rapidity of movement of the jack under the hammerbutt.

25 is the regulating screw and button secured through the rail 26. This button, which may be adjusted up or down, serves to contact with the foot 27 of the jack 8, whereby the jack is tripped out from under the hammerbutt and the hammer allowed to return until the lower extremity of the hammer check 9 comes in contact with the button 14, which checks the hammer; or the button 14, Fig. 6 attached to the hammer-butt wire 9 comes in contact with the cushion 28 on the horizontal piece 4, with the same result.

Referring again to the extension piece 3, the point of contact between its rounded end and the capstan screw 2 is somewhat inwardly of a perpendicular dotted line drawn through its center 3 on the horizontal piece 4, as shown by Fig. 4. When the exact position and length of the extension piece may be known, as in the grand action, it may be jointed to the horizontal piece 4 in such manner that the shoulders 5 and 5 may definitely determine its movement upon the capstan screw, but when the height of the action increases and the space between the key and the action widens, as in the upright piano, the capstan will extend higher up and the extension piece reach lower, asshown by Fig. 5, and the movement over each other becomes For this reason the extension greater. iecc may be made 111 the form of a hell cran 3,

the lower arm provided with a regulating screw S by which it is adjusted with the extended arm to the proper osition on the capstan screw 2, and the jac lever or horizontal piece 4 may carry an adjusting screw S to contact with the upper arm 3, by which the extension piece may be adusted in its movement over the capstan screw. In any case the object is attained when the extension piece is jointed to the action mechan ism, is rigidly held in position over the ca stan screw at the beginning of a stroke, ro ls over the capstan screw in its upward movement, and is restricted so that it cannot move farther than is necessary to conform to the movement of the capstan screw.

Fig. 4 shows a screw 5 turned into. the shoulder of the extension 3; this screw is used to adjust the amount of play the extension may have between the cushioned surfaces 5 and 5.

As shown by Fig. 1, the cord 23 is attached to the extension of the hammer-butt at various distances from the hammer-butt center f, shown by one solid line and two dotted lines. The cord 23 attached to the sprin 21 and connected to the hammer-butt extension at a, may be the greatest distance from the hammer-butt centerf necessary to counteract the dead weight of the largest bass hammer. If the cord be attached to the hammer-butt extension nearer to the hammerbutt center f as shown by k, the power of the spring exerted upon the hammer would be less, and as the point of connection is moved toward the hammer butt center f, the power exerted by the spring would become less and less. Thus the uplifting power of the jack-springs upon the weight of the hammer is varied in regular succession from the bass to the treble by attaching the cord to the hammer-butt extension at distances varying from the hammerbutt center correspondingly to the weight of the hammer.

The operation of the action is as follows: When the forward end of the key 1 is pressed, the rear end lifts up, and as the horizontal piece 4 is connected to the key by means of the extension piece 3 it also moves upward. In order to effect the various results desired it is necessary that the horizontal piece 4 shall move up bodily, always remaining parallel to its normal position. This it does by means of the arms or links 6, 6, moving around the centers 6, e, e, e, in lines parallel to each other, and connected to the rail R by means of flanges 7, 7. As the horizontal piece 4 moves up, the jack 8 in contact with the hammerbutt 9 forces the hammer 12 towards the strings 16. When the hammer ascends within a short distance of the strings the jack foot 27 comes in contact with the regulating button 25 secured to the rail 26. The jack moves out from under the hammerbutt, and the hammer, after striking the strings retracts until the extension 9 of the hammer-butt comes in contact with the button 14 secured through the horizontal piece 4, which contact checks the hammer in its rebound from the strings. The hammer may also be checked by the adjusting button 14 on the hammer-butt extension coming in contact with the cushion 28 on the horizontal piece 4, as shown by Fig. 6. The inner end of the horizontal piece 4 having come in contact with the damper block 17, the damper 15 is lifted from the strings and held in this position until the key is released. The same effect is produced on the damper of the upright action when the damper lever 17 is forced inwardly by the pressure on its lower end by the extended arm g as the horizontal piece 4 moves backward in its movement over its double centers 6, e, e, e, as shown by Fig. 3. When the extension piece 3 first receives the impulse from the key it rests, as in Fig. 1, against the cushion on the beveled abutting face 5 on the horizontal piece 4, but as the movement continues upward it rolls over the capstan screw 2 until the movement being completed, its shoulder rests against the abutting face 5, as shown by Fig. 2. When the movement of the key and action parts is complete, the action is in position as shown by Fig. 2. Only a slight movement of the key upward is necessary to set the several parts of the action in position for a repetition of the blow. As the horizontal piece 4 is used to lift the damper head and block it is not necessary that the keys extend under the action any farther than to connect with the extension piece 3, so that the keys may be made shorter than is usual in grand actions; and by this arrangement the keys may be easily and quickly taken off or replaced on the key frame, and more easily adjusted than in the old style of keys which lie clear under the action mechanism.

In case it may be desired to use the action in self-playing piano or other stringed musical instruments, the keys may be dispensed with and the action connected direct to any propelling mechanism.

Fig. 5 shows the horizontal piece 4 adapted to an upright piano. The movement is exactly the same with regard to propelling the hammer toward the strings, the combination of the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the jack 8 and the hammer-butt 9 being exactly similar.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a piano action the combination of the key frame, the key supported thereon, the rail R, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the rail R and to the horizontal piece 4, the piece 4 overhanging and operated by the key substantially as set forth.

2. In a piano action the combination of the key frame, the keys supported thereon and carrying a capstan or adjusting screw, the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the rail R and to the horizontal piece 4, an extension piece jointed to the horizontal piece 4 and adapted to impinge upon the capstan screw in such manner that the keys may be re moved or replaced upon the key frame at will, substantially as specified.

3. In a piano action the combination of the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the horizontal piece 4 sustained in position on the rail R by means of the arms or links, the jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, the hammer and hammer-butt, the jack adapted to operate upon the under side of the hammer butt, whereby the hammer is propelled toward the strings, substantially as set forth.

4. In a piano action the combination of the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the rail R and to the horizontal piece 4, the jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, the hammer-butt having a straight under side upon which the ack operates, and the jack adapted to contact with the hammer-butt at any point along its under side, substantially as set forth.

5. In a piano action the combination of the key frame, the keys supported thereon, the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms ointed to the hori zontal piece 4 and to the rail R, the damper head and the mechanism operating the damper head, the horizontal piece 4 extended and adapted to contact with the damper mech anism, whereby the damper is lifted by the operation of the keys, substantially as set forth.

6. In a piano action the combination of the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the hori zontal piece 4 and to the rail R, the damper head and piano strings and the mechanism operating the damper head, the horizontal piece 4 extended and adapted to contact with the damper mechanism, whereby the damper is lifted from the strings, substantially as set forth.

7. In a piano action the combination of the rail It, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the rail It and to the horizontal piece 4, the jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4 and provided with a spring, the hammer and hammer-butt, an arm extendingfrom the hammer-butt toward the horizontal piece 4 and means to connect the spring on the jack with the hammer-butt arm, substantially as set forth.

8. In a piano action the combination of the rail It, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the rail R and to the horizontal piece 4, the jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4 and pre vided with a spring, the jack having an opening in its upper end, the hammer and hammer-butt, a cord attached to the hammerbutt passing through the opening and connected to the spring, substantially as set forth.

9. In a piano action the combination of the rail R, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the horizontal piece 4 and to the rail It, a jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, and a regulating button adapted to trip the jack, substantially as set forth.

10. In a piano action the combination of the rail Ii, the links or arms, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms jointed to the horizontal piece 4 and to the rail R, jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, the hammer and hammer-lmtt, and a post adapted to sustain the ack in position under the h {Ll11il.l(?i-l)Lltii, substantially set forth.

1]. In a piano action the combination of the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms, the rail It, the links or arms jointed to the horizontal piece 4 and to the rail R, the hammer and hammer-butt, the hammer-butt having an extended arm reaching dowmvard toward the horizontal piece 4, and means to ad just and contact the horizontal piece 4 with the extended arm of the hammer-butt, thereby checking the hammer when it retracts from the strings, substantially as set forth.

12. In a piano action the combination of the hammer and hammer-butt, the horizontal piece 4, the links or arms, the rail R, the links or arms jointed to the rail It and to the horizontal piece 4, an adjustable sustainingpost carried by the horizontal piece 4, a jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, resting; against the post and operating under the hammer-butt, substantially as set forth.

13. In a piano action a series of hammers and hammer-butts, the hammenbutts each having an extended arm, a series of jacks operating under the hammer butts, each ack supphed with a spring, a series of cords,

each cord connecting; each spring to its corresponding arm extending from the hammer-butt, the cord connecting the spring that affects the last bass hammer attached to the extended arm of the hammer-butt at such a distance from the hammer -butt center as to counteract the dead weight of the hammer as much as desired; thence from the bass to the treble, each. cord attached to its corresponding hammcrbutt arm at a less distance from the hammer-butt center, varying in succession as the size of the hammer decreases, substantially as set forth.

14. In a piano action a key frame, keys mounted onthe kiy frame, each key provided with a capstan or adjusting screw, a hammer and hammer-butt and a jack operating under the hammer butt, a horizontal piece carrying the jack, the forward end of the horizontal piece opposite the capstan screw formed with two surfaces at an angle to each other, an extension piece jointed to the horizontal piece having its lower surface rounded and adapted to roll over the capstan screw, the body of the extension piece formed with two surfaces adapted to contact alternately with the two surfaces of the horizontal piece, substantially as shown and described.

In a piano action a key frame, keys mounted thereon, each key having a capstan or adjusting screw, a horizontal piece extending; in position above the key, an extension. piece operating between the key and the horizontal piece, the lower end of the extensic piece so formed as to roll over the cap. in. screw, the upper end of the extension piece jointed to the horizontal piece, the horizontal piece at its j ointure with the extension piece formed with two surfaces, said surfaces conforming in shape substantially with the .,.djacent surfaces of the extension piece, and the surfaces of the extension piece ada 'ited to contact alternate] y with the surfaces of the horizontal piece, whereby in the operation. of the key the movement of the lower end of the extension piece over the capstan is restricted by the surfaces of the extension piece comine' in alternate contact with the adjacent surfaces of the horizontal piece, substantially as set forth.

16. In a piano action a key frame, keys mounted thereon, a hammer and a hammerbutt, a horizontal piece and a jack, said jack jointed to the horizontal piece and operating under the hammenbutt, an extension piece operating; between each key and the horizontal piece, the upper end of the extension piece ointed to the horizontal piece, the horizontal piece at its jointure with the extension piece formed with two surfaces, said surfaces conforming in shape substantially with the adjacent surfaces of the extension piece, and the surfaces of the extension piece adapted to contact alternately with the surfaces of the horizontal piece, substantially as set forth.

17. In a piano action a key frame having keys mounted thereon, a horizontal piece 4, arms or links, a rail R, the arms or links jointed to the rail R and to the horizontal piece 4, a jack jointed to the horizontal piece 4, and a post carried by the horizontal piece 4, a hammer and hammer-butt operated by the jack, the hammer-butt having a straight under side adapted to cooperate with the jack at any point that the jack may be held by the post, whereby the weight of the ham iner may be adjusted to be light or heavy on the key, substantially as set forth.

18. In a piano action a key frame, keys mounted thereon, a horizontal piece extending above each key, an extension piece jointed to the horizontal piece and operated by the key, the horizontal piece at its jointure with the extension piece formed with two surfaces which conform in shape substantially with the adjacent surfaces of the extension piece, and the surfaces of the extension piece adapted to contact alternately with the surfaces of the horizontal piece when operated by the key, a rail, a series of links, the links connecting each horizontal piece to the rail, substantially as set forth.

SAMUEL R. PERRY.

Witnesses:

GEO. M. SHOEMAKER, B. BOYDE PERRY. 

